Tag Search Result: Pursuing Suspects

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision shielding police officers from being sued in federal court for deaths and injuries to innocent citizens resulting form high-speed chases should not be viewed as an invitation to law officers.

Now, emerging technologies may offer a solution once thought impossible: to stop a fleeing violator quickly, yet safely.

Any officer who's been involved in a vehicle pursuit that resulted in property damage, bodily injury, or death should be concerned with at least three levels of liability. Departmental discipline may be imposed if the pursuit violates agency policy. Tort liability may be imposed through a lawsuit filed in state court. And plaintiffs may file a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages.

One of the most canine-like drives I have ever felt is the urge to chase, to pursue, to catch. I must confess to an odd primal thrill I always felt when a miscreant took off running. I wish I could say my mind thought "Tally ho!" in a thick British accent.

The high-speed pursuits you saw on the old TV shows and movies had a big part in all of our decisions to enter the world of law enforcement. However, times have changed.

When it comes to apprehending fleeing suspects, understanding the tactics being used by those suspects is as important as understanding the tactics practiced by law enforcement. The criminal element has learned how law enforcement operates and criminals have adjusted their tactics.

Working perimeters can be tedious, but it’s important that we remember the basics of this role.

We’ve all heard the saying, “guilty by association,” right? Despite what the defense lawyers may say, this saying holds a lot of truth in police work. Just as police officers have a network of contacts and informants, most criminals have a network of people’s lives they affect, both for the good and the bad.

The technology known as thermal imaging senses heat using infrared—a part of the light spectrum the unaided human eye cannot see—and displays it on a screen as images in varying shades of gray.

Running after a suspect can place you in a situation where you can be easily attacked, injured by accident, or even have a heart attack.

The art of establishing perimeters can mean the difference between success and failure.

If you want to know all the arguments for and against police pursuits, all you have to do is look at a recent case that culminated in a fatal accident on Georgia 54 just outside of Atlanta.